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Vocab Unit6
Definitions
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Weather | The state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place |
| Wind | Results when air moves from regions of high pressure to low pressure |
| Wind vane | Has an arrow that points in the direction from which the wind is blowing |
| Anemometer | Used to measure wind speed |
| Humidity | Amount of water vapor present in the air |
| Relative Humidity | A measure of the amount of water vapor present in the air compared to the amount needed for saturation at a specific temperature |
| Dew Point | The temperature at which air is saturated and condensation forms |
| Fog | A low, stratus cloud formed near the ground |
| Strato | Refers to clouds at low elevations |
| Cirro | Describes the height of the cloud base |
| Alto | Describes middle-elevation clouds |
| Cumulus clouds | masses of puffy, white clouds,often with flat bases |
| Cirrus clouds | appear fibrous or curly |
| Stratus clouds | Usually form at low altitudes and may be associatedd with fair weather or rain or snow |
| Precipitation | water falling from clouds in the form of rain, snow, sleet or hair |
| 4 precipitation types | rain, sleet, snow, hail |
| air mass | a large body of air that has properties similar to the part of Earth's surface over which it develops |
| front | A boundary between two air masses of different density, moisture, or temperature |
| cold front | when colder air advances toward warm air |
| warm front | when lighter, warmer, air advances over heavier, colder air |
| Occluded front | When cold air mass moves toward cool air with warm air between the two. |
| Tornado | A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground. |
| The Fujita scale | Ranks tornadoes according to how much damage they cause |
| Hurricanes | A large, swirling, low pressure system that forms over the warm Atlantic owcean. Must have winds over 119 km/h |
| Typhoon | Similar to a hurricane only found in the Pacific Ocean |
| Cyclone | Similar to a hurricane, only found in the Indian Ocean |
| Blizzard | If winds are 56 km/h, the temperature is low, the visibility is less than 400m in falling or blowing snow, and if these conditions persist for 3 hrs or more. |
| Meterologist | A person who studies the weather |
| Station Model | Data from Earth's surface that is recorded on a map using a combination or symbols |
| Isotherm | A line that connects points of equal temperature |
| Isobar | A line drawn to connect points of equal atomospheric pressure. You can tell how fast wind is blowing by looking at how close or spread out the isobars are. |
| What causes the weather? | The interaction of air, water, and the sun |
| Precipitation and storms occur where? | At fronts |
| When is a " warning " issued? | When severe weather conditions already exist |
| When is a " watch" issued? | When the conditions are right for severe weather to occur in the near future |
| Sleet | (blank) |
| Snow | (blank) |
| Isobar | A line drawn to connect points of equal atomospheric pressure. You can tell how fast wind is blowing by looking at how close or spread out the isobars are. |
| What causes the weather? | The interaction or air, water, and the sun |
| Precipitation and storms occur where? | At fronts |
| When is a "warning" issued? | When severe weather conditions already exist |
| When is a watch issued? | When the conditions arer right for severe weather to occur in the near future |
| Sleet | Forms when raindrops pass through a layer of freezing air near Earth's surface,forming ice pellets |
| Snow | Forms when the air temperature is below freezing and water vapor changes directly to a solid. |
| How do clouds form? | As warm air rises, expands,cools,and becomes saturated, and then water vapor condenses into tiny drops, which collect. |